plano | References | Dialog-Factory GmbH

Initial situation

Before implementing the plano WFM solution, the Dialog- Factory relied on an outdated planning tool that, over the years, was insufficiently maintained and ultimately rarely used. As a result, staff planning was primarily managed using error-prone Excel spreadsheets, supplemented by planners’ experiential knowledge and intuition.

With growing project diversity and dynamic traffic peaks, manual and time-intensive planning reached its limits. It neither met the company’s professional standards expected by clients nor reflected the high complexity of the contact center. Additionally, there was a lack of high-Quality needs-based management and transparency for employees, often necessitating cumbersome Workarounds in daily operations.

Managing Complexity & Maximizing Flexibility

• Needs-based planning for approximately 20 projects with
  multi-skill and multi-channel requirements
• Optimal coverage of fluctuating traffic peaks throughout
  the day
• Fast responsiveness to short-term disruptions or changes

Automation & Operational Relief

• Replacement of error-prone Excel spreadsheets for a more
  professional approach
• Automated schedule creation based on precise forecasts
• Seamless system integration (HR system and cloud ACD)
• Noticeable relief for planners, allowing focus on operational management

Transparency & Employee Orientation

• Mobile and PC access to shift schedules, replacing cumbersome workarounds
• Support for flexible part-time and working time models
• Increased efficiency while fully maintaining employee participation in scheduling decisions

Significant Time Savings and Relief for Planners

The daily work routine of planners has fundamentally changed. Individual availabilities, personal appointments, and multi-skill requirements no longer have to be laboriously reconciled manually, as these are now automatically taken into account by the system. This tremendous time savings provides noticeable relief for planners, allowing them to focus much more on operational business.

Increased Transparency and Employee Satisfaction

Employees benefit from unprecedented transparency. Through the ESS portal, everyone can clearly see when and where they are scheduled to work. Since the Dialog-Factory places great importance on respectful interactions, the system has improved efficiency while maintaining employees’ ability to influence their working hours.

Starting Point: High Dynamics and Multi-Skill Requirements

As the customer, the Dialog-Factory sets the complex framework conditions. With 20 projects, fluctuating traffic peaks, as well as multi-skill and multi-channel requirements, the company defines high standards for planning. At the same time, the Dialog-Factory ensures that, despite efficiency gains, respectful interactions and employee participation remain prioritized.

The Strategic Implementation Partner

As a highly specialized expert in workforce management, Professional Workforce GmbH took responsibility for the complete implementation and system integration. Based on an in-depth needs analysis, the team smoothly connected critical third-party systems, including an HR system and the cloud-based ACD. The partnership also included a dedicated hyper-care phase, allowing the entire implementation

The Powerful Technological Foundation

plano provides the stable and sophisticated technological backbone for the project. With the Roster, the ESS portal, and the optimizer (which serves as a „secret weapon“ automatically applying complex planning rules), plano offers the tools for highly flexible scheduling at the push of a button. Additionally, plano ensures ongoing, high-level support throughout all project phases in the background.

Deep Contact Center Expertise and Rapid Implementation

With profound industry knowledge of the contact center environment and strong technological expertise, Professional Workforce GmbH successfully drove the project to completion. Based on a detailed analysis of requirements, the entire WFM implementation was accomplished in a record time of four months. The seamless integration of all necessary interfaces and extensive support through a hyper-care phase ensured a smooth transition into daily operations.

Seamless Integration for Scheduling at the Push of a Button

The true strength of the joint solution lies in its flawless technical integration: Staffing requirements, accurately determined by „Workforce Elements,“ flow seamlessly and automatically into the plano roster. The plano optimizer then instantly accesses this data and generates a high-quality schedule while considering all complex multi-skill and multi-channel rules. This end-toend automation – from precise demand forecasting to the final schedule – represents a true best practice in modern workforce management.